The Hidden World of Autism: Writing and Art by Children with High-Functioning Autism »

A celebration of the talents and insights of children on the autism spectrum, The Hidden World of Autism presents a collection of writings and drawings contributed by 21 autistic children. The children's work covers topics that are of primary importance in understanding some of the common experiences that children with autism, and their families, go through. These include life before diagnosis, friendships, relationships, feelings, bullying and the future. A key characteristic of having autism is a difficulty in expressing emotions; but too often that prevents children with autism from being listened to. This book gives them both a voice and a forum for creative expression and provides a window on what having autism means for the children themselves and how they feel about their experiences. This unique collection provides invaluable insights for professionals, families and friends of children with autism, as well as the children themselves.

About the Author:
Rebecca Chilvers is a research psychologist. She has worked in the Social Communication Disorders Clinic at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London for over three years and specialises in working with children with high-functioning autism

Foreword     9
Introduction     11
Notes for reading and using: The Hidden World of Autism     12
A note about the children's contributions     15
What's so Different about Me? Life on the Autistic Spectrum     17
Comorbidity in autism     21
Perspectives through poetry     27
Telling children about their diagnosis     29
Summary     30
School     31
Behavioural problems in the classroom and their link to social communication difficulties     32
Educational attainment     33
Fitting in at school     34
Help with social relationships at school     37
Support in school     38
Starting a new school: A recollection and a story     41
Summary     53
Me, My Friends and My Family     55
Does having an autistic child in the family change family relationships     56
Friendships     64
Summary     68
Those Things that I Do - Obsessions and Special Interests     69
Special interests in earlier childhood     75
Lessons from obsessions - how they can be used positively in everyday life     81
Using obsessions and special interests morewidely     83
Creating tools to help children use special interests     83
Using special interests as rewards and incentives     84
Does everyone with autism have this collection of behaviours and interests?     84
Future directions     85
Summary     86
The Future     87
Navigating outcome research - making sense of the studies     88
Perspectives on outcome: From Asperger to the present     88
Educational outcome     89
Employment     90
Psychiatric issues     91
Social and interpersonal outcome     91
Children's writing about the future     92
Summary     103
References     105
Biographies     109
Index     121